The neighbors have a shiny new sport utility vehicle to tow their travel trailer. They take a two-week tropical vacation every winter. Their family room is equipped with the latest large screen TV and surround sound stereo system. Many people believe this is a sign of wealth. In fact, this is usually a sign of consumption.
More often than not, the above lifestyle is funded with huge amounts of debt.
Uncertain economic times and rising rates of unemployment often create a new breed of desperate people. Some turn to frauds and scams as a way out of their troubles. Others become more susceptible to schemes promising to help but, instead, getting bilked out of their dwindling cash reserves. Challenging times tend to bring more frauds and scams out of the woodwork.
The Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) contribution limit has increased to $7,000 (from $6,500) for 2024. This new limit means that a taxpayer who has never contributed to a TFSA and has been eligible for one since its inception will have a cumulative contribution room of $95,000. TFSAs are now a serious portfolio and investment planning alternative to making RRSP contributions. So, which is better you ask? Well, it depends…
Most people want to be wealthy, or at least financially independent. The sad truth is that very few people are financially independent when they reach retirement. The rest are dependent to some extent on others or government benefits for their daily money needs.
Far too many people today live a lifestyle that is under a mountain of consumer debt. In many cases, that debt follows them into retirement. There are simple strategies to achieve financial independence; however, they may not necessarily be easy to follow.
November is financial literacy month - a great time to reflect on your relationship with money and the decisions you make that guide you toward a secure future. Financial literacy is a set of five key skills that help Canadians navigate the complex world of personal finance with clarity, empowering them to achieve their important financial goals. These key pillars of financial literacy typically include the following:
The key financial planning lesson that Covid-19 has taught us all, is that no matter how many planning scenarios a person considers, it is extremely difficult to get it perfectly right!
Covid has impacted Canadians' ability to hold, build and keep cash reserves. For many, it has affected their ability to work and earn a living, and for many small business owners, it has threatened their very survival. No matter how much planning small business owners did before the pandemic hit, very few set aside enough capital reserves for 12 months or more.
The holiday season is a time for connection and giving, but it can also be costly. According to PwC Canada's 2019 Holiday Outlook report1, Canadians spent an average of $1593 on holiday shopping last year. As this year's present buying season begins, here are some helpful tips that could help you avoid overspending and taking on consumer debt that could follow you into the new year.
The fastest market correction in history, that started in the last week of February and bottomed in late March, led to the fastest bounce back over a five-week period, since about 1987 1. However, at the time of this writing, most of the major market indexes are still below their February 2020 peaks levels.
One of the world’s richest men, Warren Buffett, acquired his wealth by following a very simple rule during times of market volatility: "Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful."
With mass media websites trumpeting headlines like "Oil collapse and global stampede out of stocks trample loonie” (Financial Post) and "Dow drops more than 2,000 points amid oil price war, coronavirus fears” (New York Post) it is easy to forget that the world has been in similar situations before.
If you were going to recommend a treatment plan for a loved one suffering with alcoholism, would you prescribe more alcohol as the best course of action to help them to recover or otherwise improve? Now put this question aside for the moment.
Let us look at the personal situation of the average Canadian these days and make some observations about what their circumstances look like as they go about their daily activities in life, work, & family. Then we will tie these real-life situations together with the riddle.
